Attraction To A Wallflower
by serialhugger
Summary: Nedric. Originally a oneshot. Cedric ponders Neville in this slashy strange fic. [Reading order: ATAW, ATAH, Nedric, Nedric Side Stuff.]
1. Part I: Attraction

**Title:** Attraction To A Wallflower

**By:** Smurf

**Disclaimer:** There is a really good reason why I don't own Harry Potter; that reason is J.K. Rowling does. But it's probably a good thing that I don't own it as I have an affinity for slashiness, and obscure pairings.

**Note:** I haven't ever really seen any of this pairing posted here before, and so I decided to make my own slashy wish come true and write one up myself. Erm… enjoy the CD/NL slashy drabble goodness!

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Attraction To A Wallflower

Cedric Diggory sat patiently at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with the rest of his house, watching the yearly sorting ceremony, and awaiting dinner. Actually Cedric had always rather enjoyed the traditional sorting of the first years into their houses, and he had even made somewhat of a little game of it. Every year he would watch the new students, and then guess which house the hat would put the new pupils in. He was surprisingly good at it too, even if he did say so himself. He was next to never wrong. This year would be no different. He had scouted the first year students as they had come into the Hall, hesitant, and lumped together as they often times were- indeed as he and the rest of his class had their first evening at the school- and he had begun to guess where it was that they would be placed.

As usual, Professor McGonagall started with the A's. Abbott went to Hufflepuff, as did Bones, there were a few Slytherin's, some Ravenclaw's, and Gryffindor's. So far Cedric had been correct about every new student he had hazarded a guess at, although the Granger girl had been a tough call to make. She looked like she could belong in Ravenclaw in the way her eyes spoke of cleverness, and intelligence, however, the way she carried herself, also spoke of Gryffindor; if he had to say he would think that perhaps Gryffindor would be the better fit. In the end she had been sorted to the Gryffindor house, and Cedric knew he had been right once again, and gave himself a mental pat on the back.

When a timid, round-faced, kind looking boy, with a fair complexion took to the stool to have the Sorting Hat placed upon his head, Cedric was positive that he would be sorted to his own house of Hufflepuff. Everything about the boy seemed to scream that same conclusion. So it was needless to say that when the worn looking Hat pronounced the boy to be placed in Gryffindor, not Hufflepuff, Cedric was more than just a little surprised.

Perhaps that was when his interest in the younger boy had first developed.

At first Cedric had told himself that it was just a passing curiosity that had been spurred by the fact that the little sandy blonde had surprised him in the sorting ceremony- something that had never happened before in all of his four years at the school. Neville had surprised him, and he was interested to know exactly why the first year had been placed in Gryffindor, when Cedric, and indeed the rest of the school, had been so certain that he would wind up in Hufflepuff, along with Hanna Abbott, Susan Bones, and Justin Fitch-Fletchery.

However, as time passed, and the school year dragged on, Cedric's curiosity in his schoolmate failed to wane, and he found himself strangely unsatisfied with what little knowledge he had about the sandy haired youth. It wasn't exactly like Cedric got the opportunity to spend much of his time with the young Gryffindor. They were, after all, several years apart, and thus had different classes, and moved in different circles, not to mention that they were in separate houses. He was the Hufflepuff Seeker, and Neville was the Gryffindor wallflower.

Oh, he'd managed to learn bits and pieces of things here and there, for example, he knew that Neville was terrified of Professor Snape, and that he was both forgetful, and clumsy (endearing traits really, or at least Cedric thought so.). He also knew that Neville was mad about plants, and was Professor Sprout's top student in that year, edging out even that frizzy haired Granger girl, who seemed to be head of the class in pretty much everything. He even knew that Neville had a pet toad named Trevor- though why a toad would be called Trevor he didn't quite understand; if it had been him who had done the naming, the toad would have been called Wart, or some other toadish name.

He knew that Neville never finished all of his pumpkin juice, and that he preferred carrots to peas, and that at meal times he sat with Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnegan, who, along with Ron Weasley and Harry 'the-boy-who-lived' Potter, were his dorm mates. Cedric had even noticed that when Neville smiled, twin dimples would appear, gracing either side of his kind, round face, and that when he really smiled, not one of those shy awkward half smiles he usually bestowed upon his mates, but a real honest-to-goodness smile, a warm feeling would spread through his chest, and settle in his stomach, and Cedric Diggory couldn't help but to smile as well.

By the years end, it became apparent to Diggory that he had developed what could only be called a crush on Neville Longbottom. He had come to that conclusion when the House Cup had been awarded to Gryffindor, and Neville had been embraced, and congratulated, along with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley, by their fellow housemates. He had been surprised, yet again, by Neville, and by how much he wanted to be a part of that merry crew of Gryffindor's, simply so that he too could get the chance to hug the boy with fondness, and camaraderie, and not have it be looked upon as being something out of the ordinary.

It was all very strange to Cedric who had never found himself attracted to a boy before in his life. He had always just assumed that he was straight, because he found the girls at school to be pleasing to the eye, and he appreciated how they looked, and felt. Now because of one boy he was calling his sexuality in to question, even if he knew the attraction to be wrong. Neville was eleven for Merlin's sake!

Yes, Neville Longbottom, all around nice boy, and the bane of Professor Snape's career as a Potions Master, was filled with surprises, and Cedric Diggory couldn't wait for the next time the sandy blonde lion did something to astound him. And hopefully, by that time, his interest in the boy would have settled once again into a safe, and justifiable curiosity.

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_Here ends Attraction To A Wallflower.  
_  
_Thanks for reading it, I know it isn't all that great, and it's sort of a weird pairing, but hey weirdness is what I'm known for. _

**Smurf:** Review if you feel like it, flame if you must.

**Queen Shnoogleberry:** I like flames; they're great for toasting marshmallows!

**Smurf:** Yes, yes they are _(Begins preparations for marshmallow roast)_


	2. Part II: Fluttering

**Title:** Attraction To A Wallflower

**By:** Smurf

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any trademarks or copyrights related there of, no money has exchanged hands, and no infringement is intended. HA! Now you can't sue me.

**Note:** Unfortunately this pairing refuses to leave me alone, so I think I'm going to continue this. Enjoy the CD/NL slashy drabble-series goodness!

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**Attraction To A Wallflower  
Part II: Fluttering**

Cedric had thought that his infatuation with Neville Longbottom would fade away over the summer months, as the younger boy would not be in close proximity. However, the old Muggle adage, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder,' seemed to hold very true. He wasn't obsessing over the younger boy, no, there were times where he didn't think of Neville at all. But whenever his mother would serve carrots instead of peas for dinner, he would remember that they were Neville's favorite, and he would smile to himself, a small, secret smile, then he would remember other things, like how Neville looked when he smiled, and a pleasant, fluttering sensation would occur in the pit his stomach.

That same fluttering sensation had occurred when he had seen the now twelve year old boy board the Hogwarts Express at platform 9 ¾, and then again, when he had passed Neville's compartment. Cedric had actually considered asking if he could sit with the blonde, and he would have too if his housemates hadn't spotted him and called him over to sit with them. It would have been difficult to explain why he wanted to sit with a little known, second year, Gryffindor, instead of with his mates. So, he had spent the rest of the train ride with his Hufflepuff companions, all the while pondering the enigma that was Neville Longbottom.

He next experienced the fluttering in the Great Hall, when he saw Neville sitting at the Gryffindor table not too far away. Then the Sorting Ceremony began. Cedric as usual began his game, trying to guess where the Hat would place the new students. He watched as Creevy went to Gryffindor, and as Lovegood went to Ravenclaw, and as Weasley went to (where else) Gryffindor, all the while stealing glances over at the second year, sandy haired, lion that had surprised him last year. Briefly he wondered if he would be surprised again this year. But he wasn't.

The Sorting Ceremony ended, and the Welcome Feast began, and all the while Cedric stole glances at the Gryffindor table and the boy who had managed to capture his fancy without even meaning to. Cedric must not have been as subtle as he had intended in his study of Mr. Longbottom, because Justin Fitch-Fletchery, a second year in Hufflepuff, had asked him why he kept looking over at the Gryffindor table. He had made up an excuse in a hurry, telling him that he had just noticed that Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley seemed to be missing from the Hall. Luckily that had pacified Justin's curiosity, and the young, muggleborn, Hufflepuff left him alone after that.

As the year wore on, Cedric's fondness for Neville became tinged with worry, especially once the attacks on the inhabitants of the school began. At first it was Ms. Norris, Filtch's mangy, old, she-beast of a cat, and then all of the schools chickens, mostly the cocks, or roosters, as they were more commonly called. Suspicion was thrust upon Harry Potter, at first because he had been there when Ms. Norris had been found hanging by her tail, and petrified, with an eerie message written on the wall behind her about the heir of Slytherin, and something called the Chamber of Secrets. The student body's suspicion of him only intensified after it became known that Harry Potter could converse with Snakes, which as everyone knew was a sure mark of a dark wizard. Then Justin Fitch-Fletchery had been attacked, then Colin Creevy, and then Penelope Clearwater, and Hermione Granger.

The removal of the Grounds Keeper, Rubeus Hagrid, and its Head Master, Albus Dumbledor, only served to increase the tense mood of the school, and it allowed the fears of the students to run unchecked, for with Dumbledor gone, who was going to protect them from this still unknown menace? Surely not Professor Lockhart. The man couldn't even control a gaggle of Cornish Pixies, for Merlin's sake! Cedric had serious reservations about trusting him with the well being of the entire school, even if his previous exploits were legend in the Wizarding community.

Cedric himself didn't truly suspect Harry, even though there were a lot of things that seemed to point in that direction. It was just that Neville believed whole-heartedly in Harry's innocents, and Cedric definitely trusted Neville's judgment… still he would have felt better if he could be there to watch over the forgetful, clumsy second year himself, rather than to have to trust his safety to someone who was considered the prime suspect by the majority of the students in the school. Not that he was one of those people. Okay, so maybe he did suspect Harry… but only a little bit.

Then came the news that a student had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, at first nobody knew who, then it became known- mostly through gossip- that the missing student was a Gryffindor. Cedric had been left with a feeling in the pit of his stomach that was so unlike the light fluttering sensation he had gotten used to being there. And when it became known that the missing student was a first year, named Ginny Weasley, the heavy, cold weight that had settled in his tummy lightened considerably. He was relieved that Neville was safe, and prayed that it remained so, even whilst he continued to worry (even if not as much as he had earlier) for the Weasley girl.

In the end, Ginny was saved, Harry's name was cleared of any suspicion from the students, those who had been petrified were cured by the mandrake solution, Hagrid and Dumbledor returned to Hogwarts, and Neville Longbottom still occupied a large portion of Cedric Diggory's thoughts. So much for a passing infatuation, no matter how he looked at it, Cedric knew that he was already quite smitten with the loyal, kind-hearted, Gryffindor wallflower, Neville Longbottom.

On the train ride home, Cedric found himself once again sitting with his mates. Only this time he didn't participate much in their conversations. Instead, he feigned tiredness, and closed his eyes, retreating into his thoughts, most of which came back around to two things. The first of them being; _'I like Neville Longbottom,'_ and the second being, _'but he's only twelve!'

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_Here ends Part II of Attraction To A Wallflower._

Thank you, to all of those who read the first part, and especially those who reviewed it. Wow! Not one flame. What am I supposed to do with all of these marshmallows? Oh well, there's always this chapter! I actually don't like how this one came out when compared to the first part of my Nedric drabble series.

**BAGGE;** thanks very much for the review, and I'm really glad that you found the pairing fitting even if a little odd.

**dogdemoninuyashaandkagome;** hehe, I guess bullying you really works huh? Oh well, I'm glad you liked it as I know you prefer non-same-sex pairings, and would have killed me if it had been something more erm… adult themed.

**SasukeBlade;** thanks for the review and the compliment.


	3. Part III: Struggling

**Title:** Attraction To A Wallflower

**By:** Smurf

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any related trademarks, although it would be really cool if I did.

**Note:** Enjoy the Nedric slashy goodness!

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**Attraction To A Wallflower**  
**Part III: Struggling**

The Hogwarts Express had stopped rather abruptly, the lights had gone out, and a feeling that could only be called despair had seeped its way into Cedric Diggory's now sixth year self. The shadowy figure he had managed to make out floating ominously through the aisle had nearly caused him to cower in the corner like a three-year-old girl afraid of the bogeyman. In truth, about the only thing closer would be a Bogart. He shuddered at the thought, before silently hoping that Neville would be all right. He hastily amended that thought to include the rest of the train as well, before heading off -like a good prefect- to check on the rest of the students. Even Draco Malfoy, whom he didn't care for in the least (didn't the pale Slytherin have anything better to do with his time than torment Neville and his mates?). The train got underway once more, and all those aboard couldn't have been more relieved.

Cedric sighed as he sat through that years Sorting Ceremony; it had just become so predictable. He had been playing the Sorting Game for years now, and he had only ever been wrong once. He couldn't keep his gaze from wandering over to the Gryffindor table, where it sought out non other than Neville Longbottom. Neville, he noticed, had grown up quite a bit over the summer. He was taller, and leaner too, but his face remained the same; round and kind, and when he smiled, those twin dimples still flashed most becomingly.

Over the course of the summer Cedric had come to terms with the fact that his feelings for Neville were not going away anytime soon, nor was it simply an infatuation. No. Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff, heartthrob, Quidditch captain, and Seeker was most definitely in love.

Of course, that love was unrequited, at the moment, but there was always hope. Cedric knew that there was a chance- a rather large one actually- that Neville Longbottom didn't bat for the all boys team, but, then again, neither did Cedric; he was a co-ed kind of guy. Then there was the whole age difference problem, however that was beginning to matter to the tall boy less and less. He had already decided to tell Neville exactly how he felt about him… Only not yet, after all the sandy haired Gryffindor was only thirteen, and who really knew their sexuality at thirteen? He hadn't. He had been fourteen before he had discovered that he could appreciate both male and female beauty.

So Cedric would wait one more year, he would wait until Neville was fourteen, and would have at least an inkling of in which direction his interests lay. He figured that to be the best course of action, though his decision to wait could have also been due to the fact that he feared being rejected, and thus the owner of a broken heart. Still, he contented himself to wait, just one more year.

The presence of Dementors made everyone a little nervous, and Cedric was no exception. After all, they were very unpleasant creatures by nature- actually, come to think of it, there was nothing natural about Dementors at all. They were twisted, and wrong, and Cedric resented the fact that they were there at all, even if he did understand the reason behind their presence. However, even their presence didn't stop Sirius Black from getting inside the school.

The night that Sirius attacked the portrait of the Fat Lady, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Hufflepuff Seeker. All of the students were made to sleep in the Great Hall… all of the houses together in the same room, and as luck would have it, Neville Longbottom just happened to choose the sleeping bag directly ahead of his. He was so close to the younger boy that he could make out even the faintest sound Neville made in his sleep. Smiling, and contented, Cedric allowed himself to be lulled to sleep by the shy Gryffindor's slow rhythmic breathing.

Cedric and Neville moved in different circles at the school, so it was understandable that they hadn't had the opportunity to converse with each other one on one. As a matter of fact they had barely spoken two words to one another in the three years that Cedric had been aware of the younger boy's existence. Perhaps that was why the simple exchange they had the morning after the Fat Lady was attacked had left him grinning like a fool. Cedric had sat up, yawned, cracked open his eyes only to see Neville doing the same, and he had smiled and said, _"Good morning Neville,"_ and then Neville, his hair mussed from sleep, had offered him a sleepy, dimpled smile, that looked simultaneously sultry and adorable, and replied, _"Oh, good morning Cedric."_

Who had known that such a simple thing could bring so much happiness?

The next time that Cedric got to see the object of his affection- outside of the regular mealtimes- was at the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch match. Of course it had originally been scheduled as a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, however, the Slytherin team's Seeker, Draco Malfoy's arm was still too injured to allow him to play- the lying, cheating, faking git! Still he was excited to see Neville in the stands watching him play, even if the Gryffindor wouldn't be cheering for Hufflepuff or himself. Not that he would expect anything else from his loyal lion.

The game had gone horribly, at least in Cedric's mind. To the rest of the team it had been a smashing success. Yes, Hufflepuff had won the match, and Cedric had caught the Golden Snitch, but only because a bloody Dementor had gotten hungry and decided to feed off of Harry's emotions. That was why Cedric had caught the Snitch, and that was why he had tried to arrange a rematch. Besides, seeing Neville's look of concern as Harry was carted off to the infirmary very nearly cleaved his heart in two. All in all it was a joyless win.

But, Harry got better, Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup for the first time in years, Wood got to graduate happy, Sirius Black was captured (even if he did manage to escape somehow), Buckbeak managed to avoid execution, the Dementors were gone, Professor Lupin resigned, and Cedric continued to think about, dream of, and care for Neville Longbottom.

And next year he would tell the shy sandy blonde boy how he felt.

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_Here ends Part III of Attraction To A Wallflower._

Only one more part of this story to go before I post the two companion pieces, _Attraction To A Hufflepuff_, and _Nedric_. Once again I find myself liking this less than the first part. I knew that there was a reason I intended this to originally be a one-shot drabble. Oh well, there isn't much you can do when plot bunnies attack.

Thanks to all of you who have read this and especially to those of you that have reviewed.

**dogdemoninuyashaandkagome:** Another review! Yay!

**Dead Uchiha:** A Sasu/Naru version? Hmmm… lol! You do have a one-track mind. But hey, so do I. I was planning on doing this as an AU Sasu/Naru thing, until an hour and twenty minutes before I went to start typing it up, and well it came out as this (maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had been watching Harry Potter). YAY! I'm glad you picked up on my pure and oh-so-innocent dirty humor. Gold star, and dirty pictures of Naruto and Sasuke in that hospital bed for you (you know what I'm talking about- Sakura may not have had a camera, but Jamesie sure did.)! Hands over said objects while thanking her dead friend profusely for the now rather large pile of Oreo's

**SasukeBlade: **Well, I'm very pleased that you're glad that I'm continuing this fic. Well, unfortunately, the next chapter will be my last for this particular tale. However, it will be much longer than the others so far. After this I'm going to write Neville's POV; it will be posted in a separate fic though. Oh And thanks for the sympathy flame! I finally got to roast marshmallows. I even made s'mores! LOL.

**Lyddie:** I was shocked to find that I am the only person that seems to like writing for this pairing. I'm glad to know that you find it interesting though. Good reviews make my day.


	4. Part IV: Ending?

**Title:** Attraction To A Wallflower

**By:** Smurf

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any related trademarks, although I do own a seriously mangled looking Harry Potter Lego person… well actually, I found him on the sidewalk and thought it was cute, so I took it home, cleaned him up, and put it on my bookshelf.

**Note:** This one took a while; I was in the process of moving, and on top of that I had some trouble with the whole Cedric-Cho relationship, and how to handle it without coming across as a Cho hater, or having to write her out. I happen to like Cho's character, so she had to stay, and thankfully I figured out a way. Yay! This is the longest chapter I have ever posted, and I think I did an okay job though feedback would be nice. Thanks.

**Warning:** This is a work of fan fiction. Meaning it did not come from JK R's delightful imagination, it came from mine, although it was inspired by her work, as is the case with pretty much all HP FF's. So there will be discrepancies, a few time jumps, and some OOC-ness (though, I try to keep it to a minimum), and some AU-ness- again, it's a fan fiction, AU-ness is always there in some way shape or form.

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Attraction To A Wallflower

**Part IV: Ending?**

The summer before Cedric's seventh-and final- year at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry was filled with much anticipation and excitement. The fluttering sensation that arose in his stomach whenever Neville Longbottom was near- or on those occasions where his thoughts of the younger boy were, for lack of a better description, more vivid than usual- had began to act up earlier than usual. In the previous years the fluttering hadn't begun until just a few hours before he left for platform 9¾'s and the Hogwarts Express. Perhaps the intensity of the manic butterflies that seemed to have taken up residence in Diggory's belly, was due to the fact that this year Cedric had vowed that he would come clean to the younger boy about his feelings, and that was enough to make any teenaged boy nervous.

Over the past few weeks Cedric had mulled over how exactly he would approach Neville so as to not come off as too forward or pushy. He had gone over everything that he wanted to say, and exactly how he wanted to say it nearly a million times in his head; once or twice he had even found himself rehearsing out loud in front of his mirror (which had assured him that it all sounded quite lovely, but that he should comb his hair as it was sticking up in odd angles). Such was the scenario at twelve minutes to two when his father had come to make sure that he was awake, and would be ready to begin their trek to the portkey that would take them to the site of the Quidditch World Cup finals.

Good lad that he was, Cedric was awake- even if still a touch groggy- his travel-bundle waiting at the front door. He was dressed in clothing that he had purchased in a muggle shop special for the occasion. He wore a pair of distressed jeans that the sales girl had seemed to approve of by the way she had been (none too discreetly) checking out his rear. He had paired the jeans with a heather gray t-shirt that fit snuggly over his torso, and displayed a faded shamrock on the chest; he had thought that it would be fitting considering he was planning on supporting Ireland- though to be fair, the Bulgarian team was rather good as well. On his feet he wore a comfortable pair of muggle shoes- he believed that they were called sneakies or something like that. And to keep his mum happy he had also donned a jumper in Hufflepuff yellow, just to be sure that he would be warm enough.

It was a good thing that his shoes were comfortable as the walk to the portkey was rather long indeed. Once there the two Diggory's had naught to do but locate said portkey, and wait for the arrival of their fellow travelers. The port key could have been any object, from an old tin can, to a discarded mitten, once Cedric had even traveled via one made to look like a muggle lawn gnome; it had been curious because the thing looked absolutely nothing like the gnomes he was used to tossing out of the garden at home. In this case however the portkey happened to be an old boot.

Now that the port key had been found, all that remained was the waiting. As it would turn out, the other travelers arrived shortly. Cedric recognized them immediately, as did his father who waved them over. Arthur Weasley, a red haired wizard, was being followed by his brood of children- or those still too young to apparate at any rate- and two other people whom Cedric knew from school; the first was Hermione Granger, a bushy haired Gryffindor girl who helped Neville as often and as best she could with his potions assignments, and the second was Harry Potter, a friend and roommate to young Mr. Longbottom.

Harry seemed perhaps a wee bit perturbed by Cedric's father's comments on the Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match that had taken place the previous school year. For his own part, Cedric was rather embarrassed. He had- more than once- explained to his father about Harry's accident and the Dementors, however, it would appear that Amos Diggory had listened to none of it, not even as Cedric tried to explain for perhaps the sixth time that summer.

Amos, the proud, jovial, father that he was continued to speak of his son in glowing, even if perhaps a bit boastful, terms. Cedric was rather glad when the conversation ended, and he felt the familiar tug at his navel, which told him that the portkey was doing its job.

The group arrived at the check in point some seconds later. Cedric, and the two father figures were the only three to have remained standing. The others had wound up sprawled on the ground in a tangled mass of bodies, and backpacks. Cedric, being the gentleman that he was helped Hermione, who was closest to him, to her feet. Once everyone was standing upright the group got their tent assignments and went off in search of the muggles whom they would pay for their stay in the camping grounds. Arthur Weasley and his group went off in one direction, searching for a Mr. Roberts, while Cedric and his father headed off in another direction looking for a Mr. Payne.

Cedric spent most of his day keeping an eye out for his favorite Gryffindor, only to be disappointed when Cho- a very close friend of his from school, and the seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team- had explained that her grandmother had told her that Mrs. Longbottom (Neville's formidable witch of a grandmother) hadn't wanted to come and had refused to buy tickets. Cedric was disheartened at the fact that Neville had to miss such a big event. He knew that the younger boy would have enjoyed it thoroughly, and if he had been there it would have given them an opportunity to talk.

Cho cast her friend a knowing look, and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek as if to say _'Its okay, you'll get a chance to talk to him later.'_ Cedric smiled at the gesture, and squeezed her hand thankfully; he had always known that there was a reason he had chosen Cho Chang to be his best friend and confidant (even if most of the time people thought they were more). Still he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that Neville hadn't been there to watch the game, or see Bulgaria's Viktor Krum catch the Snitch, or to celebrate Ireland's victory.

Later that same night though, Cedric was relieved that Neville wasn't among those who had come to see the game. The last thing he wanted was for the kind Gryffindor to be exposed to the cruelty of Death Eaters, as they rioted through the campgrounds. And when the mark of He-who-must-not-be-named lit up the night sky, Cedric Diggory paled and was struck all at once with a terrible, almost paralyzing, fear; he remembered that symbol from when he was a toddler, and all of the horror that had come with it. Yes, Cedric was glad that Neville wasn't there. The younger boy was far away; he was safe. And suddenly, Cedric found that he could breath again.

Cedric had meant to approach Neville at platform 9 ¾'s when he had seen the sandy haired youth rolling his trolley toward the train to be stowed away. Unfortunately a first year girl had intercepted him and had asked, very politely, if he would mind terribly helping her with her things. Cedric looked at the girl's trunk, and nodded. The thing was twice as big as she was, and he doubted that she knew any spells to help her get the task done on her own.

After helping out the minute first year Cedric noticed that he had lost sight of the object of his affections, and realized that the other boy must have already boarded the train. Not a problem. Cedric would simply find Neville's compartment, and ask if he could sit with him. It wasn't as if it were mandatory for him to sit with the other prefects for the entire ride. And if he could get Neville alone, he could finally let the round faced boy know how he felt about him without embarrassing either of them too badly. That however didn't happen, as he was immediately spotted by a group of his peers and hauled into the car reserved for prefects where he wound up staying for the entire trip, except for when he did rounds with Cho, just to make sure that there were no wizard duels, or other mischief going on in the aisles or compartments. Thus he lost yet another opportunity to speak to Neville.

The announcement that the Triwizard Tournament would be held at Hogwarts, beginning in October, and continuing on throughout the school year was made after the Sorting Ceremony (once again Cedric had placed all of the first years correctly in their respective houses), and Welcome Feast, it had been interrupted by the late appearance of one Mr. Moody, better known as Mad-Eye, who was introduced as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but the announcement had still managed to be made. Cedric had caught the curious and excited look that seemed to dance across Neville's features, and smiled to himself. Perhaps entering the tournament wouldn't be such a bad idea. After all if he was chosen as the Hogwarts Champion then he would- most likely- get the chance to have Neville cheer him on, something he had often fantasized about during Quidditch season. The seventh year's smile brightened considerably at that thought, and he made up his mind that yes, he would definitely be entering.

Cedric was beginning to think that he would never get the opportunity to speak with Neville alone. He hadn't seen the boy much during the first few days back at school, although he had run into Hermione once or twice, and each time she had gone on about S.P.E.W. something or other, and the plight of House Elves at Hogwarts and the world over. Why couldn't he have bumped into Neville instead? Why?

But still, Cedric remained optimistic. He would get a chance to talk to Neville Longbottom, and he would tell him how he felt, and he would do it before the end of the school year. He had no doubt in his mind that he would in fact do these things, because he was a Hufflepuff, and Hufflepuff's were nothing if not determined.

September ended, and October began; Cedric had managed to see Neville a few times in the halls between classes, however the younger boy was always accompanied by someone, and so Cedric hadn't managed to let the young lion know about his feelings just yet. The brief conversations that they did manage to have however were wonderful even if short, comprising of a mutual greeting, followed by a statement or question or two, and then a goodbye. Cedric had even managed to make Neville laugh once; it was an accomplishment that he felt proud of. Hearing Neville's soft laughter, and knowing that he was the one to cause it made the fluttering sensation in his stomach all the stronger, and a fuzzy warm feeling to settle over his entire being.

Cho couldn't help but smile whenever Cedric mentioned the younger Gryffindor. It was plain to see that Neville, by simply being Neville, made her dearest and nearest friend happy. She had even expressed those sentiments to Cedric once while they had been sitting by the lake completing their respective school assignments. Cedric had merely blushed, nudged her lightly, and accused her of being a romantic, before returning his attention back to his essay on curses for professor Moody's class.

Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody; Cedric had an uneasy feeling about him. But, he pushed it aside, brushing it off as uneasiness about the aged professor's magical eye, and its high level of creepiness. He didn't particularly care for Snape either, but he had learned that his personal feelings had nothing to do with someone's ability to do their job. Snape may be a prat, but he was still a fine example of a potions master, and likewise, Moody may be unsettling and eccentric, but he was exceptionally experienced in Defense against Dark Arts, and therefore was more than qualified to teach the subject.

By mid-October Cedric and Neville would say hello to one another whenever they passed in the halls. And Cedric was certain that he had caught young Longbottom staring at him once or twice during meals, although that could have just been wishful thinking on his part. Regardless, Cedric was more confident now in his chances with Neville, as he was no longer a total stranger to the fourth year herbology buff.

It was also at about this time that the rest of his house became aware of his plans to enter into the Triwizard Tournament. A few of the more perceptive of them (specifically Ernie McMillan, and Justin Fitch-Fletchery- both fourth years) were even aware of Cedric's motivation behind entering into the competition. Cedric supposed that Justin had probably caught on in his second or third year after catching the older boy cast wistful glances in the direction of the sandy haired youth. Ernie however had only become aware in the past few weeks or so. Both boys seemed supportive enough, though, so it really came as no surprise that it was Ernie who came to tell him about the other participating schools arriving to begin the tournament on the thirtieth of that very month.

The week leading up to the thirtieth was a tense one. Snape was more snappish than was normal, and had risen to new levels of spiteful nastiness, McGonagall was on edge, Flitwick was even more excitable than usual… as a matter of fact, the only person who seemed unaffected by the whole business was professor Binns, and he was a ghost!

Finally the thirtieth arrived. The Great Hall was decorated rather smartly, and the teachers all seemed to become complete perfectionists all at once. The students and staff assembled outside of the school thirty minutes before regular classes ended in wait of the arrival of their guests from Beauxbaton, and Durmstrang, and Cedric stood as near Neville as he could manage.

The first to arrive was Beauxbaton, in a flying carriage pulled by a team of enormous winged horses. Neville, in surprise, stumbled back a bit, only to step on a fifth year Slytherin's foot. Cedric watched, ready to step in if the brutish looking serpent tried anything, but he didn't. Instead of shoving Neville face first into the ground as was expected, the boy simply steadied the round faced Gryffindor and gently nudged him forward back into his place, not even making a fuss over the fact that his little toe was probably going to be bruised for the next few days. Cedric felt a brief pang of what could only be termed jealousy as he watched the Slytherin touch Neville, how ever innocent it was, however it passed just as quickly as it had come, and he went back to watching as the coach landed.

Once the representatives from both schools arrived the Hogwarts student body returned inside, and made their way to the Great Hall, where a welcome feast would be served in honor of their guests. Once seated, Cedric took a look around. He saw Cho, sitting at the Ravenclaw table not too far from the Beauxbaton students who had decided to sit there as well. Briefly he wondered if it was because of the fact that Ravenclaw Blue went rather nicely with their robes. At the Gryffindor table he saw Neville sitting with his usual group of friends, and Ron Weasley, looking very excited. Then he noticed the Durmstrang students still milling about the place before finally settling on dining with the Slytherin's. Ron was no longer excited, Cedric noted. For his own table he noticed Hannah Abbott, looking over at the Slytherin table, peeking none too discreetly at Viktor Krum. He hoped he wasn't as obvious when he shot glances in Neville's direction, although, he had a sneaking suspicion that he was.

The food was quite excellent, although by the faces of the Beauxbaton students you would think it had been just a mediocre meal. The announcement of the deadline for entry into the Triwizard Tournament was made. Cedric took one more glance over at the Gryffindor table, and then returned to listening as Professor Dumbledore spoke, and early the next morning, before the sun or other students were up, he made his way to where the Goblet of Fire was displayed, and entered his name into it.

The evening of the drawing of the three school champions saw Cedric Diggory, sitting at the Hufflepuff table in a state of quiet nervousness. He really hoped that he was chosen to compete.

Then the Goblet spat out a slightly charred piece of parchment, which was caught, and read aloud by Dumbledore. Viktor Krum had been selected as the champion for Durmstrang, and Fleur Delacour as the Beauxbaton champion. Both had disappeared into a chamber behind the staff dining table.

The entire Hogwarts student body, along with a fair number of its staff waited anxiously. When the third name was called Cedric was a little unsure if he had heard correctly, but once he was positive that, yes, it had been his name to come out of the Goblet, he felt a strange mixture of relief, excitement, and nervousness. Still, he smiled brightly, glanced in Neville's direction, saw him clapping politely, a smile on his face, and headed off to join the other two champions in the small chamber where they had been instructed to wait.

The three teens had been waiting in silence, none of them really certain of what to say to one another, when the door opened and a fourth person came in. Cedric knew him immediately to be Harry Potter. He listened as Fleur Delacour of Beauxbaton questioned Harry, and then continued to listen as Ludo Bagman, Madame Maxime, the head of Durmstrang- one Professor Karkoff, and Professor's Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore all continued to argue over the same thing. Harry, it seemed, was the fourth competitor in the Triwizard Tournament; a fact that confused Cedric. It was, after all, the **_TRI_**wizard Tournament. That alone made it quite clear that there were only supposed to be three champions, not four. Didn't the Goblet know that? Or was it perhaps going a bit senile… that is if objects such as that could even go senile…

Merlin! He'd have needed to be a Ravenclaw to sort it all out. Luckily for him, he happened to know one quite well. If anyone could help him make heads or tails of the situation it would be Cho.

Eventually the arguing stopped. The Bulgarian's went back to their ship in silence, the French, left speaking animatedly in their native tongue, and both Harry and Cedric were sent back to their dorms.

While they were walking Cedric let his curiosity get the better of him and he asked Harry how he had gotten his name into the goblet. When Harry answered that he hadn't entered, and he had no clue as to how it happened or what was going on, Cedric looked at him, and decided to give the younger boy the benefit of the doubt… well most of him did at any rate.

It was now late November, and the day of the first trial of the Triwizard Tournament. Cedric had yet to get anywhere near Neville Longbottom, and it wasn't for lack of trying! It was just that every time he attempted to go and talk to the younger boy, he was immediately swarmed by a group of giggling girls, who just couldn't show enough support for him as the REAL Hogwarts champion. Really it was starting to grate at his nerves.

Cedric's sour feeling s for Harry had ebbed completely after a long talk with Cho, though the fact that Harry had given him warning about the subject of the first task- even though he could have just kept it to himself- had helped in smoothing his previously ruffled feathers. So when he dipped his hand in to Mr. Bagman's purple bag, and pulled out a miniature dragon with the number one around its neck, he hadn't been surprised at all.

It was time now. Cedric made his way to the pitch where the dragon he would have to face would be waiting for him. He could hear Mr. Bagman's voice announce him as the first competitor, but louder still was the cheering of his fellow students. The tall Hufflepuff scanned the stands searching for a certain somebody's dimpled, round, face, though his eyes found Cho first, who was clapping enthusiastically, and gesturing to her left rather obviously. Cedric's gaze followed her gesture, and came to rest on Neville, who was also cheering for him.

Cedric felt a slight heat work its way across his features. Strangely he didn't feel embarrassed, but rather emboldened, as he continued on his way to face his dragon. Cedric's plan was a simple one- the simple ways are often the best as the saying goes- but it was still risky. But then again, Dragons were rather risky creatures to be around even when they weren't nesting.

Taking a deep breath, Cedric set about his task. First he chose a suitably sized rock, and transfigured it into an adorable looking black dog. Hopefully it would distract the dragon from him long enough for him to grab the golden egg that was nestled amongst her clutch.

It worked… well sort of. He had managed to get the egg, however, the rock/dog hadn't been enough of a distraction, and he had wound up with a burn along the side of his face. Still, it was all right, he had completed the task, and he had complete faith in Madam Pomfrey and her healing salves.

Cedric's face had healed up rather nicely; there wasn't even a scar. Although he had spent several days smelling like a medicine cabinet, in order to properly heal the charred skin. During that time he had avoided Neville like the plague, not wanting the sensitive boy to see the grotesque burn. After all, one wants to look their best for the ones they care for.

The announcement of the Yule ball had been made while he had been in his Muggle Studies class, and immediately he had thought of Neville, and how nice it would be to go with the younger Gryffindor as his date. His second thought though had been of a certain blonde Slythrin, and a good number of his cronies. They picked on Neville often enough as it was. Going to the Yule Ball with a member of the same gender would simply be like adding fuel to the fire. Slythrin's were not known for their tolerance. So, Cedric made up his mind to do the next best thing. He would go with Cho. She was after all a nice girl, pretty, and intelligent, and she was also one of his closest friends so it wouldn't be too awkward to dance with her. No, as a matter of fact the whole idea sounded rather fun. Besides, he would most definitely see Neville there, and possibly he would finally find an opportunity to speak to him.

And so it was that Cedric went to the Ball with Cho. There were even rumors going about the school that they were a couple. Cedric had been quite flustered when he had heard that. But Cho had calmed him down. It wasn't as if the rumors were true. They were just friends. Close friends. They had been for years, ever since Cho had made her house team, and they had found that they had a lot in common.

Cedric hadn't gotten a chance to speak to Neville as he would have liked, however that didn't mean he wouldn't. The Hufflepuff seventh year, made a promise to himself that he would indeed let the younger boy know exactly how he felt before the end of the school year.

Time passed and before Cedric knew it, the second task was upon him. When he had learned of what the task entailed, he had been worried that it would be Neville beneath the surface of the great lake, though the rational part of his brain had told him that it wouldn't be… he was very careful not to let anyone know of his affections for the younger boy. The only people who knew were those who had figured it out themselves, and they respected the seventh year enough to keep quiet until the time came when he could told the kind faced Gryffindor of his crush. However that meant something or someone else was down there; Cho Chang had been chosen as the ting he would miss most at Hogwarts. Not entirely accurate, but not too far off. The slight Asian girl was his closest confidante, so in a way it made sense that she would be the one chosen.

Once the task was completed, Cedric noted that he had risen in rating, and he saw a sea of spectators, yet he was still unable to get close to his sandy haired lion. Not that he minded. He hoped to have this particular conversation with the object of his affections when he wasn't sopping wet.

'_Soon.'_ He promised himself. _'I'll do it soon.'_

Soon the third task was upon him, and Cedric still hadn't said a word to Neville about how he felt. He felt as if he were the world biggest procrastinator, constantly putting it off. Well, no more! No he was dealing with this now. Right away! Only he couldn't really could he… because in exactly five minutes he had to be waiting with the other champions. Heaving a heavy sigh, Cedric made his way to where the others were probably already waiting.

It appeared though that today was his lucky day. Standing there, not but fifty yards from where Cedric was headed, was Neville Longbottom, who also seemed to be headed in that direction. 'Probably to wish Harry Luck,' he noted to himself. Still, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"_Hello, Neville,"_ Cedric smiled at the boy, _"Off to wish Harry luck?"_

The smaller boy turned to face him, and Cedric swore he saw the fourth year blush as he shook his head in the negative. _"N-no. I- I already wished Harry good luck before he left the dorm this morning…"_ Neville looked downward apparently finding his shoes very fascinating at that moment in time. _"I…"_ he stopped to clear his throat, _"I was coming to wish you good luck as well… I mean… you're a Hogwarts champion too, and-"_

Cedric positively beamed at the younger male, who seemed to have problems finishing his sentence. _"Neville,"_ Cedric cut the other boy off mid stutter, _"Thank you. For wishing me luck I mean."_ The last bit was added hastily. Cedric saw Neville nod and turn a brighter shade of red before turning to leave.

Cedric caught hold of Neville's wrist, and halted him before he could get away. If he didn't do this now, he might not get a chance later. _"Neville, wait!"_ he now had the younger boy's full attention_. "Neville, I…"_ Why was this so hard to say? He'd rehearsed it in his head and in his mirror so many times it should have been easy! But no… Suddenly all of the carefully chosen words, and planned speeches were gone from his head, and all that was left was an anxious fluttering uncertain sensation that seemed to have filled his entire body.

'_COME ON DIGGORY, OUT WITH IT! SAY SOMETHING! DO SOMETHING! NOW! DO IT NOW!'_ giving in to the demands of his conscience, Cedric pulled the smaller boy in toward him and did the only thing he could think of in his flustered state. He kissed him.

It wasn't a hard, drawn out, passionate kiss… it was more tentative, and soft… and perfect, especially the part where Neville kissed him back, even if it was only for about three seconds before he pulled away and looked up at Cedric with wide slightly glazed over eyes.

Neville brought his fingertips to his lips, and blushed like a school girl who had received her first kiss… which wasn't too far from the mark, the only difference was the gender specification. Cedric found it all impossibly adorable. _"Wha-? I… What about Ch-Cho… I thought…"_

Cedric shook his head and smiled, a rosy blush staining his cheeks as well. _"Just friends,"_ he managed when he found that his vocal chords had finally decided to cooperate. Cedric really wished he had more time before the start of the third task, but he was going to be late if he didn't leave now. Loosing his grip on Neville's wrist he shifted his hand until it was holding Neville's. Giving the younger boys hand a light squeeze, he offered up another soft smile. "I have to go now…" he looked over his shoulder in the direction he knew the other three champions would be gathering, "But would you wait for me until I'm done?" he asked hopefully.

Neville nodded and a bright smile split his face. Cedric's response was much the same; little did either boy know that their happiness would be so short lived.

Cedric Diggory, the seventeen-year-old Hufflepuff seeker, and all around good bloke, died not too long after his sweet exchange with his kind hearted Gryffindor, and Neville Longbottom was left, forever waiting…

**FIN!

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_Here ends Part IV of Attraction To A Wallflower._

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I know the ending is sort of sad… but I wanted to try something different from what I normally do. I usually stick to the humor and or parody part of fic writing, and so I thought that it was about time for me to do something sweet, sad, and hopefully not too sappy (Is it me or did it seem a bit rushed at the end? Tee-hee). This is the end of the first part of a trilogy of sorts; I'll be posting more Nedric stuff in a few days, but in the meantime check out some of the other stories the collective has put together.

Now for review responses! Yay!

**SasukeBlade:** I made this chapter longer just for you! Yay! (Hands over I  Nedric button, cap, and t-shirt- the very best in Nedric Supporter paraphernalia) Thank you for all of your reviews thus far, and I hope you continue to read my other Nedric fics, which should be up soon.

**Lavender Brown-Halliwell:** Woo-hoo! New reviewer! Yay! Thank you for the review, and I hope this chapter was to your liking.

**j. lunatic: **Yay! New review! Here's the last chapter for this one. The other two pieces should be up sometime in November. I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying! LOL.

Wow! I'm really surprised at the good reviews this has gotten. I expected it to be all flames, and vaguely disguised death threats! LOL.

_**Hugs and Oreos!**_

_Smurf _


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